Archive for July, 2011

Speeding through the jungle of Taris, I approached the crash site and saw the smoke from the caravan about one click out. I parked the speeder near a tree and approached from the south side of the road. Nothing. The place was deserted, just smoke and a ravaged caravan. I heard a moan from somewhere in the rubble; T7 behind me was quiet, scanning for any movement. Blaster rifle in hand, I approached cautiously. Turning the corner of one of the cargo haulers, I saw the sergeant from the holo. He was laying on his back, one hand on the wound in his gut, the other on his blaster. The bodies of his throw-together detail were spread all around him. He still had fight in him, but his eyes were terrified. When he saw me he raised his weapon but lowered it back when he realized I was a friendly.

“LT,” his raspy voice barely got it out.

“Take it easy, Sarge,” I said, scanning the area.

“Did anyone else survive?” I asked.

“I…I don’t think so.”

“How bad are you?”

“Not going to make it sir…the rakghouls came out of no where…almost like a planned attack, there was just too many of them.”

“Okay Sarge, rest now I’ve got the watch.” I gave him a kolto pack from my small med kit. It would only ease the pain; sadly there was nothing more I could do for him. T7 came up behind me beeping in excitement.

“How many?” I asked.

“Boop…beep”

“More than 10? Oh great!”

I took a good cover position behind a crate that had fallen out of one of the haulers. The rakghouls were approaching from the north side but I knew with a few well placed grenades they wouldn’t be difficult to take care of; plus T7 was equipped with a blaster, so I wasn’t all alone. The rakghouls came in waves. I had only seen holofootage of them; they were much bigger in person, ranging from four to seven feet tall. The ghouls ran at me, hunched over and using their arms as an extra set of feet. Some had spikes over various parts of their bodies, but all of them looked enraged and hungry for my warm flesh. I launched two plasma grenades from my rifle that took out three of the little ones and one larger one. They didn’t take kindly to that, but, thankfully, went down with blaster fire; no different than any other man or creature I’ve killed. T7 even managed to take out a few of them; I was glad I wasn’t alone. The six remaining ghouls stopped briefly to look at their fallen brothers then charged at me. I let loose a barrage of blaster fire, mowing the beast down. It seemed as though we were going to be fine after all.

Thwack!

The last thing I remember before everything went black was a humming sound and a flash of blue light.

I came to, groggy and unsure of what had happened. Standing over me was a human male. He looked about my age, maybe a few years older. My rifle was still at my side and I quickly took it up.

“Easy, Leftenant, you took quite a knock on the head. One of the rakghouls jumped you from behind, you never saw it coming.”

“I never saw it coming? So you did? Were you watching me?” I tried to stand but the world was still spinning.

“I was. I was ordered not to engage or interfere with your mission, Leftenant.”

“Ordered to what? Who-who are you?” I asked the man standing over me, but before the man could answer the world started to spin again and I blacked out.

“This is your captain speaking, we will be landing shortly. Strap in and brace for turbulence.”

Taris; I didn’t think my first assignment in Havoc squad would be security detail for supply line runs on Taris. This back water planet was destroyed 300 years ago by the Sith. Taris used to be covered in nothing but buildings and skyscrapers, one giant city. After the destruction the jungle took it back. Now the Republic is here trying to do the same. The Republic’s mission is to re-colonize Taris and try to make it half the gem it once was. I’m supposed to meet up with my counter part. Not sure who he is but he is supposed to be waiting at the spaceport to get me squared away. I hope he isn’t some kriffing shiny just out of basic; the kid better be more than handy with a blaster if he is going to watch my back.

I grabbed my gear and proceeded to the exit hatch after we landed. I was hoping to stop using military transports now that I was Havoc squad but I guess a solo mission to Taris for an “undetermined amount of time” didn’t constitute giving me my own ship. The space port was fairly new but still run down. It looked like they brought scraps to a scrap planet to build with, or these were taken from the 300 year old fallen buildings.

I was approached by a protocol droid and T7 series astromech droid. “Excuse me sir, are you Lieutenant Dimbo?”

“Yes, can I help you?” I replied.

“Very good, this T7 unit has a message for you.” A hologram of a soldier appeared. “LT, I regret that I’m unable to report to you in person, we were ordered to leave earlier than planned; we didn’t have a full security detail, mainly just grunts around the outpost I could muster up. I’ll check in with you when we’ve reached the destination outpost.”

Well great! They left without me. I said thank you to the droids and started to walk away. “Oh sir…” the protocol droid started, “This T7 has orders to report to you.”

“What?” I said surprised.

“Beep boop beep.”

“He says he is to be your personal astromech droid for your time on Taris, you should have his transfer papers in your holo.” The protocol droid walked away to go on about his duties and I was left there with a shiny new T7 droid. My binary was a little rusty but I figured we’d make do.

“T7, do you know where the main command center is?”

“Beep…”

“Ok lead the way.”

It was only a few minute speeder ride to the command center from the space port. Looks like the first settlers didn’t feel the need to branch out too far, so you could walk if needed. I decided to walk and get a feel of the place. Nothing much to look at; spaceport, barracks, various merchant stands, a couple more sturdy buildings for big wigs to stay safe in and the command center. As my new companion and I approached the door to the command post I got a ring on my holo, audio only. “S-sir…ambush…rakghouls…last known…6 clicks out…” The call ended abruptly. T7 beeped in disappointment.

I checked the charges on my rifle and extra battery packs, then found the sergeant in charge of speeders and hopped on the nearest one. T7 jumped on the back and we took off. T7 provided me with the holomap and directions as I pushed on the accelerator. “Stang!” I couldn’t believe they left without me. If only they would have waited for me. But there was no time for that now, I had to get to the site and check for survivors and if possible save those supplies from looters.

“That’s just what they’ve called me since I can remember. I grew up on the streets here.”

I haven’t thought of my “home” in a long time. All I remember is being alone, begging for food or credits on busy street corners. It was like that for a while, until Moss, the rodian owner of a local diner, took me in. He found me in one of his dumpsters when I was about six. I know nothing about my past or my life before the streets. That didn’t make joining the service easy, but I’m here now. He took the little Corellian boy in, gave me a cot and let me pay my way washing dishes. If it hadn’t been for him, God only knows where I’d be now, definitely not on my way to Ord Mantell to report for Havoc squad duty. Passing through Corellia was just a bonus.

“Ok, Dimbo. The transport leaves at 1500 hours and don’t be late.” The officer reminded me.

“Roger that, Thanks.”

“ Next! ”

I hadn’t been back to Corellia since I left for boot camp so I figured I’d go to Moss’ diner for lunch and some catching up. It was just a little before 1100. Even when I was just a lil’ nerf washing dishes in the back of the diner I had dreams of Havoc squad. One day a couple of members came into the diner and Moss let me get them their stim teas. They were nice soldiers, told me to stay in school and keep my nose clean. So I did and I think the day I left for basic was the proudest day of Moss’ life.

I walked up to the diner. It was more run down than I remembered. I went in and sat down at a booth. I ordered a stim tea and when the droid brought it, I asked to speak to the owner of the joint. Moss came out a few minutes later, he looked in good shape, antennas sagging a little. He recognized me in an instant. The musky aroma of a rodian hadn’t crossed my nose in quite sometime; I had forgotten how overpowering it could be. But I was so happy to see the man that raised me, all I could do was smile and hug him! We talked for a few hours, I told him of my time in basic, my first assignment in the Pantora system, then playing bodyguard on Coruscant for some senator. He was so happy when I had sent him the holo saying I’d been selected for Havoc squad. He wouldn’t talk about himself; it was just question after question about me. When it was time for me to go, he wished me well and we embraced one last time. He told me to “keep my nose clean” and to write more often.

So now, here I am boarding the transport, hoping that little diner won’t change as much the next time I see it. This bucket should be taking off shortly bound for Ord Mantell, what adventures and trials await me I don’t know, but I know I’ll be ready and my nose will be clean!

Contact me at:

dimbotrooper@gmail.com

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